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Yankees visit Blacksburg
The New York Yankees played an exhibition baseball game in Blacksburg, Va., against the Virginia Tech Hokies March 18 before a national television audience.
As Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter mingled along the Hokies' dugout in their pinstripes, Ashburn's Sean Ryan was not the only one starstruck.
"It was an unreal experience," said the Tech starting centerfielder and former Stone Bridge Bulldog. "The crowd, the atmosphere, the players, it was amazing."
A throng exceeding 5,300 filled the bleachers and berms of English Field as Ryan and his maroon-clad mates emerged from the home dugout to the blasting of Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
"Everyone was jumping up and down like at a football game. That's probably the closest we'll come to feeling like the football team," Ryan said, laughing.
The Yankees, after taking a solemn walk around the circle of 32 Hokie Stones perched elegantly at Burruss Hall's April 16th Memorial, went on to hold the Hokies to two hits in an 11-0 victory.
Ryan, a .300 hitter this season, was hitless in two at-bats, striking out versus New York's righty starter Jeff Karstens.
"I fouled off a couple of outside fastballs, then he threw me a curve that just kinda disappeared," Ryan said.
Ryan and his teammates collected autographs from "pretty much the entire starting lineup," including Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon.
Future Hall-of-Famer Rodriguez spent a couple of innings in the Hokies' dugout, chatting with the players.
"He said that it was one of the more emotional games he'd ever played in," Ryan said.
The Yankees pledged to play the game in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting last April 16. They also donated $1 million to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.
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